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92nd Street Y is where inspiration lives and exploration begins—with a diverse range of classes and programs that let everyone pursue what they love. With innovative, top-notch programs, events and concerts, plus over 4,000 classes taught by today's most talented professionals, 92Y has it all—for all ages and interests.

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Jewish Life

One of the most widely acclaimed Jewish programs in the nation. You’ll find a wealth of programs designed to inform and inspire a meaningful connection to Jewish beliefs, teachings, traditions and celebrations.Learn more about the Bronfman Center for Jewish Life

Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement

Ruth Feldstein

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In 1964, Nina Simone sat at a piano in New York's Carnegie Hall to play what she called a "show tune."

Then she began to sing: "Alabama's got me so upset/Tennessee made me lose my rest/And everybody knows about Mississippi Goddam!" Simone, and her song, became icons of the civil rights movement. But her confrontational style was not the only path taken by black women entertainers. Join professor Ruth Feldstein for a journey into the lives and work of six celebrated black women performers—Simone, Lena Horne, Miriam Makeba, Abbey Lincoln, Diahann Carroll and Cicely Tyson—to explore the risks they took, their roles at home and abroad, and the ways that they raised the issue of gender and race. These women did not simply mirror black activism; their performances helped constitute the era's political history.

Brief Bio

Ruth Feldstein is Associate Professor of History at Rutgers University. She is the author of How It Feels to Be Free: Black Women Entertainers and the Civil Rights Movement and Motherhood in Black and White: Race and Sex in American Liberalism, 1930-1965.

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About 92Y YourStage

92Y YourStage provides a venue for independent curators, performers, and educators to mount a professional production. Yourstage events are confirmed once they meet a threshold for ticket sales by a certain date.

YourStage events that are ON have been confirmed; PENDING events need to generate more ticket sales; If an event fails to generate enough ticket sales, the event will be CALLED OFF, and all ticket holders will be refunded.

Get to the front of the line!

Priority registration puts you at the front of the line to register for courses and events for an upcoming semester.

Eligible patrons will be able to order priority registration online.

Who is eligible for priority registration?

Individuals who have participated in 92nd Street Y programs over the past year in selected program areas, participants in certain memberships, and those who have made contributions of $500 or more to 92Y, are eligible to register for programs before they become available to the general public.

How do I know if I qualify?

Patrons that qualify for Priority Registration will receive packets in the mail explaining how to purchase online. Priority registration is normally mailed 2-3 weeks before a catalog is available. Registration information includes your Patron ID#. You can use this ID# to setup your login information online. This will allow you to register early for a course or event. Please note: if you receive a packet, you are only eligible to priority register for the programs covered in your packet.

Priority Registration Support

To find out if you are eligible for priority registration, don't have your Patron ID#, or having difficulty ordering online, please call 212.415.5500 or email.